


idealism and chivalry

by weathering



Series: it's a slow burning fire [3]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Ariadne Lavellan/Kate Maeng, Battle of Haven, F/M, in which ari is pretty set on being a martyr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 13:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12367146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weathering/pseuds/weathering
Summary: The Breach is closed.Ari’s relief is heavily tinged in shock; she didn’t think that she would survive closing the breach, but here she is, standing amongst the festivities in Haven.Alternatively; In which Ari is surprised she's alive but ends up having to run away from a dragon anyways.





	idealism and chivalry

**Author's Note:**

> idealism sits in a prison, chivalry fell on a sword

The Breach is closed. 

Ari’s relief is heavily tinged in shock; she didn’t think that she would survive closing the breach, but here she is, standing amongst the festivities in Haven. She’s rubbing her hand across the still sparking mark on her palm when a touch to her shoulder brings her back to reality. Kate is doing a bad job of trying not to look relieved to see her, the worry lines on her forehead slowly easing. Ari smiles at her, just a little bit too widely. 

“Looks like I made it after all,” she quips, and Kate scoffs at her even as she starts to fuss. 

“Cassandra demanded I come check on you. Something about you making unholy amounts of noise when you closed that bloody breach.” She glances down at Ari’s hand, frowning at the still sparking mark. “How does it feel?”

“It’s just aftershocks now. Nothing I can’t handle,” she says, tossing a grin at Kate, loosening her braids from where they’re pinned with her free hand. “Besides, this is a party. I have my hair down and everything, so let’s get a drink. You can give me a very thorough check up later.” 

Kate smirks and grabs two drinks off of a passing tray, handing one over and then gesturing towards the fire.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she says, standing close to the flames. “Any plans now that that fucking hole in the sky is shut?”

“Keep closing the smaller holes in the sky, I suppose,” Ari answers, taking a large swig of her drink, but Kate’s attention has wandered. Before she has a chance to follow her gaze, Kate smirks and leans closer to her.

“That’s a noble plan and all, but I’m fairly sure a certain Commander of yours is considering something more immediate and...adult.” 

Ari glances across the fire and meets Cullen’s eyes. He blushes at being caught staring, but maintains eye contact when he raises her drink at her. She smirks at him, raising her cup in return, and doesn’t look away when she responds to Kate.

“Now that’s idealism if I’ve ever heard it. Weren’t you the one ranting about idealism being dead the other day?” 

Kate laughs. “I was drunk, and you hadn’t just closed a hole in the sky that spewed out demons by pointing your hand at it. So I think it’s safe to say that there’s enough idealism left for me to assume that he’d be more than happy to volunteer to give you that thorough check up, if you asked.” 

Ari grins at the comment, and Cullen raises an eyebrow at her across the fire. She winks back at him, more than happy to play this game.

“Oh is there now? Do you think there’s enough to also assume that he’d help me out of my armour first? Just so he can get a better look, of course,” she teases Kate, gently bumping her hip with her own. “But I suppose asking wouldn’t hurt.”

She’s barely taken a step towards the fire when the warning bells begin to toll loudly across the yard. Ari whirls towards the gates a split second ahead of everyone else, Cullen’s commands to the soldiers carrying over the noise. She takes a moment to curse loudly, turning back to Kate and gesturing at the Chantry as she quickly pulls her hair out of her face.

“Grab as many supplies as you can carry and then get into the Chantry,” she orders, and Kate nods, looking around for her healers. “It’s not safe out here. Go!” She doesn’t give Kate a chance to respond before sprinting towards the gate herself, already pulling her staff from over her shoulder and calling out to her companions as she rushes by them. 

The first time a red templar charges at her, red lyrium bursting through its shoulders, Ari’s stomach drops. Fear paralyzes her, and all she can think of is the future that she thought she had managed to prevent. Dorian’s shout brings her back to the present, and she barely manages to dodge the templar’s blow, cursing loudly as she realises that she’d frozen on the battlefield.

“Not now Ariadne!” Dorian shouts as he sets the templar aflame, “We’ve got–”

Whatever he was about to say is covered by a thunderous roar, and they both look up in time to see a dragon light a trebuchet on fire. The panic is suddenly overwhelmed by anger and kicks her back into gear, and she barks out orders to retreat even as her heart beats frantically against her ribcage. Ari had prepared herself for a lot of things that morning, but being set on fire by a dragon was not on that list and she’d be damned if that’s how she was going to go.

Ari is still holding on to the hope that the situation is still salvageable when she stumbles into the Chantry in charred boots. It only takes one look at Cullen’s face to smother the last spark of hope she has. She sees Kate at the end of the hall, surrounded by burn victims. Kate catches her eye and mouths a variety of colourful curse words when she catches sight of Ari’s grim facial expression. It’s the closest thing to goodbye that they’ll get, and it hurts more than Ari expected.

It’s more than she could have hoped for when Cole supplies them with a solution that will get everybody out. The fact that it will leave Ari and her companions at the mercy of the dragon and an army of templars is left unspoken. The finality of it has already settled into her bones when Cullen flat out asks her how she’ll escape. She wants to stay silent, but instead she turns to Varric, who is holding a slightly singed Bianca close to his chest.

“You best be taking notes Varric,” she says seriously, “because this is going to be one hell of a story.”

“Already on it Twist,” Varric says with forced cheerfulness, “It’s gonna sell like hotcakes.”

Ari turns in time to see realisation wash over Cullen, and she watches the expressions flick across his face as he struggles to believe that she might make it out. Ari allows herself a moment of regret for the fragile friendship they’d built up, for everything she could never have, and then shakes it off. There is no time to grieve things that had never existed. 

“It’s going to be a hit,” Ari says, more to Cullen than to Varric. “Everybody loves a martyr.”

This spurs Cullen into action, taking a step towards her. “I can-” he starts, quiet horror and desperation in those two words alone. Ari holds up a hand to stop him.

“You can get our people out, Commander,” she interrupts, and gives him a wry smile. “Yourself included. This is hardly the time for chivalry.”

She turns to her companions, not eager to choose which of them she’ll take with her. But Dorian has already stepped forward, volunteering himself with a shrug. She shoots him a thankful look. 

“I’ve always wanted to fight a dragon. Now seems a good a time as any!” Iron Bull says, shouldering his axe, and Sera is quick to follow.

“Gonna shoot those ugly bastards in the face,” Sera says, “Shoot them in the face with fire arrows. See how they like it.” 

Ari closes her eyes for a moment, centering herself, rolling her shoulder back as she pushes thoughts of futures she could have had out of her mind. She pulls her staff off her back as she opens her eyes, and grins at her companions. 

“Well then, let’s give them the fight of their lives,” Ari says, bursting through the doors of the Chantry without a glance backwards.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt on tumblr. Kate belongs to the faslaidir. 
> 
> Come find me there at onesparrow.tumblr.com


End file.
